Investing.com - President Donald Trump asked for National Security Advisor John Bolton’s resignation Tuesday, saying in a tweet he “disagreed strongly with many of (Bolton's) suggestions, as did others in the (a)dministration.”

The 737 MAX fiasco is expected to hurt Boeing’s (BA) second-quarter financial results severely. On July 18, the company announced it foresees an after-tax charge of $4.9 billion in Q2 in connection with its grounded MAX jets.

Wall Street is trading around the unchanged line on Wednesday, bouncing between gains and losses, as all eyes focus on the recent announcement of a $120 billion all-stock merger of equals between United Technologies (NYSE:UTX) and Raytheon (NYSE:RTN).Defense and aerospace stocks have been holding up well since President Donald Trump took office, as represented by the iShares Aerospace and Defense ETF (BATS:ITA), despite problems at Boeing (NYSE:BA) related to the 737 MAX. This is thanks to a big investment in the Pentagon's budget by the Trump Administration.With geopolitical tensions high between the United States and China as well as Iran, this spending isn't likely to slow anytime soon. Industry consolidation, of the type represented by the UTX-TRN tie up, will bolster profitability. With defensive sectors of the market enjoying a bid in recent weeks, amid broad volatility, this provides yet another reason for investors to consider names in this area.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips * 7 Stocks to Buy for the Coming Recession Here are four defense stocks to watch: United Technologies (UTX)Shares of United Technologies are rebounding slightly after a sharp decline below their 200-day moving average, testing critical support from the March lows. The company has been going through a metamorphosis, announcing last fall that it would spin off its Otis elevator and Carrier HVAC businesses early next year, segments that will not be included in its merger of its aerospace business with Raytheon.Of note is that its Pratt & Whitney engine segment was combined with Collins Aerospace Systems last fall via what was one of the largest aerospace acquisitions in history. The company will next report results on July 23 before the bell. Analysts are looking for earnings of $2.04 per share on revenues of $19.3 billion. When the company last reported on April 23, earnings of $1.91 beat estimates by 19 cents on a 20.5% rise in revenues. Raytheon (RTN)Shares of Raytheon, maker of missile and radar systems, are finding support near the lower end of its five-month consolidation range. The proposed tie-up with UTX is seen as a big positive for RTN, diversifying its exposure into the strong commercial aerospace market as well as giving it more leverage with suppliers to negotiate lower prices through economies of scale. * 7 Dark Horse Stocks Winning the Race in 2019 The company will next report results on July 25 before the bell. Analysts are looking for earnings of $2.64 per share on revenues of $7 billion. When the company last reported on April 25, earnings of $2.77 per share beat estimates by 29 cents on a 7.4% rise in revenues. Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings (AJRD)Shares of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings (NYSE:AJRD) are taking flight, pushing back towards prior highs hit in February to mark a 25%-plus rally off of its April lows. Earlier this week, CL King's George Godfrey suggested the company could be a logical acquisition for Boeing or Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) following the United Technologies-Raytheon deal. Back in March, the company acquired a 3D printing subsidiary from ARC Group Worldwide (NASDAQ:ARCW).The company will next report results on July 29 after the close. Analysts are looking for earnings of 39 cents per share on revenues of $483.4 million. When the company last reported on April 30, earnings of 44 cents per share beat estimates by 19 cents on a 0.1% decline in revenues. Northrop Grumman (NOC)Shares of Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) are cooling their heels a little after a run to challenge priors highs set last September, marking a nice 23% rally off of the late March lows. The last time the 50-day moving average pulled away from the 200-day average like it is now was back in 2013, marking a 6x increase in the share price until a bout of profit taking struck in early 2018. * 7 Stocks to Buy As They Hit 52-Week Lows The company will next report results on July 24 before the bell. Analysts are looking for earnings of $4.65 per share on revenues of $8.4 billion. When the company last reported on April 24, earnings of $5.06 beat estimates by 46 cents on a 21.6% rise in revenues.As of this writing, William Roth did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 4 Top American Penny Pot Stocks (Buy Before June 21) * 7 Stocks to Buy for the Coming Recession * 10 Smart Dividend Stocks for the Rest of the Year * 5 Tech Stocks That Are Far Too Risky Right Now Compare Brokers The post 4 Defense Stocks to Watch on Raytheon-United Technologies Merger appeared first on InvestorPlace.

The stock market bounced Tuesday in a broad advance in which small caps spearheaded the attack. The Russell 2000 jumped 1.2% at the closing bell, outperforming the major indexes. The small-cap gauge, however, remains below its converged 50-day and 200-day moving averages.

Investors will see the meat of first-quarter earnings this week with a spate of key companies reporting that will fuel or decelerate exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with the largest holdings of companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Twitter, Facebook, Chevron, and Exxon. ITA suffered from continued fallout from the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane during Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, but has recovered since. ITA tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index composed of U.S. equities in the aerospace and defense sector that includes manufacturers, assemblers and distributors of aircraft and aircraft parts. With a 20.16 percent weighting in Boeing as of April 22, ITA will be tested with the airline reports its first-quarter earnings on Wednesday.

With an 11.70 percent weighting in Boeing as of March 15, ITA has been down nine of the last 10 days. ITA pared losses in Friday's early trading session after Boeing said it would release a software upgrade for the 737 in the coming weeks. ITA tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index composed of U.S. equities in the aerospace and defense sector that includes manufacturers, assemblers and distributors of aircraft and aircraft parts.

Shares of Boeing continued to face downward pressure on Tuesday despite the Federal Aviation Administration backing the aircraft manufacturer by deeming the Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane still airworthy after being involved in a deadly crash in Ethiopia over the weekend. The incident marked the second deadliest crash involving the Boeing 737 MAX 8 within a span of just five months.